Oil-switch.



J. B. OPSAHL.

OIL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.26, 1907.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. B. OPSAHL.

OIL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26, 1901.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

. able dama e.

ionAN BuRc ARnT OPSAHL-OF cmoA'co, rLLniolsu om-swrrcn.

. Specification oi Letters Patent.

- resented Dee.99,1908.

' Application filed September 26, 1907. Serial a... seam.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHAN BURCHARDT OPSAHL, a subject of theKing andresiding at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Oil-Switches,

of which the follow g is'a complete specification.

This invention relates to im rovements in oil switches and more particuar'ly to an oil switch of that class ada ted to prevent a spark whenbreaking an e ectrical current of high otential. Heretofore devices ofthis class. ave been employed but the oil therein has been kept atatmospheric pressure so that it has not been subjected to a forcedmovement when the switch is operated, other he result in than that dueto gravity.

too slowly such devices is that the oil moves to completely fill thespace caused by the rapidly moving contacts and a spark is .allowedto.form,l ofttimes causing, consider- One of t e objects of thisinvention is to provide a device inwhich the oil employed to immerse thecontacts is subjected to heavy ressure and acts directly upon the movable contact to operate it.

In othen words it is an object of the invention to provide a switchadapted to be opened 'byhydraulic pressure. p I

It is-a further object of'the invention to provide a switch in] whichthe immersing fluid at all times completely fills the space around andabout the contacts so that when the current is broken the spark, if any,must necessarily travel through it.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device in which aclean supply of the oil is inserted each time the current is broken,thereb providing a pro or circulation of the oil an making it P0885116to provide sufficient filtration for the same to thorou hly removetherefrom any particles of carion which have been formed by the breakingof the current.

It is a further object of the invention to 'provide a device in whichthe safety of both the plant and the employees; is eatly enhanced forthe reason that the 'ability of spark formation is greatly reduced,'andbecause the necessity of removing the fiuid'for filtration having beenremoved, it does away with the necessity of tampering with the dev1ce.

of Norway, the ap central vertical section of the The invention consistsof the matters here-' inafter described i in the specification and moreparticularly pointed out and defined in ended claims.

. In t e drawings: Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation andpartly in vertical .sec-

tion, of a device embodyin my invention.

Fig. 2 iso. section taken on ine 2-2 of 1. Fig. 3 is a central sectiontaken between the c linders and showing the outlet in dotte "lines. Fig.4 is a horizontal section of the slide valve, showing the valve slide inlan view and in the inlet position shown in 1g. 3. showing the valveslide in reverse or discharge position. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sec- Fi7 is a transig. 8 is a bottion of the valve shde. verse section of thesame.

tom plan view of the valve casing 9 is 10 is a valve casing. As shown insaid drawings: The device IS an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but embodied in a double seriesswitch, though i obviously a single switch ha\' but one cylinder and onepiston, or any ot or desired number of connected units may be employed.

A indicates a frame of any desired construction and material andadaptedto su port the working parts of the device. Wit in this frame aretwo cylinders B and B, which are spaced a distance apart and are mountedupon suitable bases C and C" of cast metal or other preferred material.Said cylinders ma be 0 any suitable insulating material, suc as glass orporcelain, and are constructed of an upper section b anda lower sectionb, the latter of which is seated andv properly cemented, or otherwisesecured to aflord a tight joint, in a groove or channel 0 in the top ofthe base p1ece. Between said sections is a contact ring D', hating theadjacent ends of said cylinder sections cemented in channels d in itstop and bottom.

At the upper corners of the frame A and at suitable points therebetween,said frame is prozided with insulator sockets a in which are supportedsuitable insulators a, carrying attaching bolts a. A double spider orframe E is engaged 'on' said bolts and is provided.

over each cylinder with an annular cap 0, in

which the upper ends of the sections-b are engaged. Extendin upward-lcaps and in axial a ement t erewith are the uide cylinders F and F inwhich are slida ly e aged the plungers or pistons G. As shown iaIi fromsaid e cylinders F and F are slotted in their adjacent sides and are oflarger bore than the caps, Y fitting means may therefor.

said rod and engages at one engaged at one movement, with which areconnected with through the acting automatically wh andi therein adaptedto register and the pistons are each provided at thei to s with aperipheral flange g closely t erein which act to guide them. A cross baror yoke H is engaged on said istons at its ends and is adapted to transin the slots in said c A controlling value I 0 any desired con.-vstruction is prozidedand is adapted to' control theflow of oil to andfrom t e cylinders B and B. Said val e as shown h'owei'er, is 'val'kecasing i. of which is side thereof with a port t ports 0. opening basesC and O intothebottoms of the cylinders B and B. At one end of said val.'e casing isyan inlet port 01 to which is connected an inlet pipe I andat the other end of said casing is an outlet port i which opens througha' filter t of any preferred roz'ided on each construction into afiltration tank l -beneath the frame. Said filtration tank is connectedwith any suitable supplly tank or reservoir, not shown, and from w chthe inlet leads.

Any preferred means may be employed-to force theoil to and frem"thesupply tank. instancean electrically operated force pump may force theoil from thefiltration tank into the pressure tank or cylinder and enthe piston: or plunger in'the pressure cylinder sinks below a; certainlevel. The pressure on said cylinder may be exerted by springs orweights.

Slidably engaged in said casing is a hollow, cylindrical valve slide I,having ports i with the the valve casin y preferred be employe tooperate said solenoid l. is supon the valve casing ports in slide but,asshown, aported on a bracket 11 anda rod '17 is engaged projects intosaid solenoid, forming the core A coiled spring i is carried on end theslide and at the other end the bracket t, and acts to hold the slidenormally at the inner limit of its movement.

' The ring D is orted at its axis upon radlal The provided with amercury cup d sup arms (1 an affording a bead contact.

iston G is provided on its lower end with a :ontact ring g which isslotted vertically 0 provide a plurality of flexible tongues adapted tofit closely in the ringD. A contact G. has threaded engagement in thebottom of the piston Gr, axially thereof, and extends downwardly and isadapted to enter the mercury on d when the piston is lowered. A coi ed srin J is end to the cross ar an at the other end to the insulator. yengaged to the valve casing 11 and acts to normally hold the pistonsatthe lower limit of then the contacts in electrical engggement.

and K are cable sockets connected with linders F and F .slide ,is heldby the spring permitting the esca e of the the spring J acts to lowerthem an to said slide an mercu the rings D of the cylinders B and Brespectively and aiford means for connecting the switch in the circuit.

The operation is as follows: When the current is turned ofi the solenoidthe valve i the. position shown in Fi 3, thereby permitting the oil tobe force from' the. source of supply to the c ,linders B and B Theressure of the 0 acts to force the pistons upwardly against the tensionof the spring J an break the connection between the contacts. Owing tothe fact that the oil is under pressure it at all oil cylinders beneath.the pistons.

When current is turne into the solenoid the valve slide is moved to theposition shown in Fig. 5, thereby bringing the orts t and i intoregisterwith the ports i and i respectively of the valve casing,- andoil from the cylinders to the out et chann ll and back to the supplytank or reservoir. The pres leased beneath the istons bring sure beingre into engagement, thereby completing the circuit. As the pistons nearthe lower limit of their movement air is enca ed in the bottoms of theguide cylinders F, when the flanges 9 pass beneath the slots in saidcylinders, and acts as a'bufl'er for said istons. Apertures the contacts9' are. provided at the ower ends of said ide cylinders which permit theair to slowly esca e and glentl seat the pistons. Owing to t e fact t att e cup d is flaring there is always oil enough left on the mercury toprevent oxidation. As the oil esca es from the cylinders it passesthrough the lter 1', Where any particles of carbon which may have'beenformed are removed, thereby keeping'the oil clean.

Obviously'the valve slide'may be operated by an preferred mechanicalmeans and any pre erred means may be employed to force the oil into thecylinders. Obviously, also many details of construction may be variedwithout departing from the principles of my invention.

. I claim as my invention:

1. In an oil switch, the combination with a cylinder of a stationarycontact therein, a cup .on said contact, a ressure contro ed movablecontact adapte to coact with the stationary meansthereon adapted toengage in said cup and means for admitting and releasing oil underpressureto and from said 0 linder. 2. In a device of the class descri edthe combination with a cylinder of a mercury 12 cup therein affording acontact, a piston in said cylinder, a contact on the bottom thereof,adapted to engage in said cup, a valve adapted toradmit oil underpressure to said cylinder and release it therefrom, 1:

contact, adjustable 12 and means for filtering the oil as it escapesfrom the cylinder,

3. In a device of the c ass described the combination with a cylinder ofinsulating material, of a contact ring supported therein,

supported on said ring, a

therein throu h which the oil passes after leaving-the cy inders.

a mercury cu piston, a plura ity of flexible tongues thereon adapted toengage said ring, a removable contact adapted to engage in said cup andmeans for admitting oil under pressure to said cylinder.

4. In a device of the class described the combination with a cylinder ofinsulating material, of a contact ring therein, a mercury cu supportedon said ring axially of the cylinder, a piston, flexible means on thebottom thereof adapted to engage said ring, a removable contact on saidpiston adapted to engage in said cup, means for admitting oil underpressure to said cylinder and raising the iston, means for returningsaid piston an means affording an air cushion therefor.

5. In a device of the class described the combination with a rece tacleof a stationary contact therein, an axia ly disposed mercury cup on saidcontact, a movable contact adapted to be moved into and out ofengagement with the stationary contact means adapted to en age in saidmercury cup and means adapte to admit oil under pressure to saidreceptacle and force the movable contact away from the stationarycontact.

6." In a device of the class described the combination with a pluralityof cylinders of insulating material and each having an inlet port, of astationar" contact in each cylinder, a piston in sec cylinder, a contacton each piston adapted to engage the stationary contacts when thepistons are at the lower limits of their movement, a valve controllingsaid ports and ada ted to admit fluid under pressure to said cy indersand raise the pistons, a cross bar connecting said pistons, a springconnecting said cross bar with said valve and adapted to lower thepistons, a dischar e port in said valve and a filter into which saidortopens.

7. In a dievice of the class described the combination with a pluralityof oil cylinders having inlet ports in their lower ends, of a contactring in each cylinder, a mercury cup supported on each ring axially ofthe cylinder, a guide cylinder above each oil cylinder, a flanged pistontherein pro'ecting downwardly into the oil cylinder, a flexible contacton each piston adapted to engage in said rings when the pistons are atthe lower limit a of their movement, an axial contact on each pistonadapted to seat in said cups, a cross ar on sea p1stons,-a valvecontrolling said ports, means for operating the same, a springconnecting said bar and said valve and adapted to lower the pistons, aninlet pipe adapted to admit oil under pressure to the oil cylinders froma source of su ly, an outlet port in said valve, a channelleadingtherefrom to the source of supply and a filter 8. In a device of theclass described the combination with a pair of cylinders, of astationary contact in each cylinder, a piston in each cylinder, acontact on each piston adapted to engage with the stationary contacts,-across bar connecting said pistons, a valve adapted to control theadmission of fluid under pressure to said cylinders, and a springconnecting said cross bar with the valve casin 9. In a device of theclass described the combination with a pair of cylinders, of a pipecommunicating with each, a valve controlling said pipe and having anoutlet and an inlet port, a supply pipe connected with the inlet-port, atank connected with the outlet port, a filter therein, a piston in eachcylinder, contacts on said cylinders and pistons, a cross bar connectingsaid istons and a s ring connecting said bar wit 1 the valve caslng andadapted to lower the pistons.

10. In a device of the class described the combination with a pair ofcylinders of a stationary contact in each cylinder, at iiston in eachcylinder, a slotted guide cylinder for each piston, a contact-0n eachpiston each adapted to engage one of the stationary core tacts, a crossbar connecting said pistons and adapted to travel in the slots in theguide cylinders, means for admitting fluid under pressure to saidcylinders to raise the tons, and a spring acting on the cross bar toreturn the pistons.

' 11. In a device of the class described the combination with a frame,of a pair of apertured bases therein, a cylinder on each base, astationary contact on each cylinder, a mercury cup supported on eachcontact, a piston. in each cylinder having a serrated ange thereonadaptedto engage with one ofthe contacts, a contact'on the'bott om ofeach'piston adapted to seat in the mercury cup, a two way valve adaptedto control fluld under pressure in said cylinders, a cross barconnecting said pistons and a spring connecting said bar with the valvecasing.

- In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in thepresence of two witnesses.

JOHAN' BUROHARDT OPSAH L.

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